Stories for April 2011

Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff decided to cut all relations with the Inter American Human Rights Court following on the CIDH decision to request that the construction of a huge dam in the Amazon be suspended, following an appeal from indigenous groups.

The head of the Ibero-American Secretariat Enrique Iglesias denied that the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, CELAC, to be created next July pretends to take distance from the United States or Spain.

Brazil’s population reached 190.7 million according to primary data collected from the 2010 demographic census and released Friday by the Brazilian Geography and Statistics Institute, IBGE. The census also showed that almost 10% of the population is illiterate.

Argentina's powerful organized labour leader Hugo Moyano called for President Cristina Fernandez, CFK, to run for re-election but also asked for greater labour participation in the ballot lists, sharing companies’ profits and seats in the boards of the main corporations.

China's currency, the Yuan, strengthened past a key level against the US dollar on Friday, as part of wider efforts to contain inflation on the mainland. The Yuan broke past 6.50 against the dollar, a level not seen since 1993.

Argentina’ Foreign Affairs minister Hector Timerman and his Chilean peer Alfredo Moreno will lead next Monday in the Vatican homage to John Paul II for his 1978 successful mediation in preventing a full fledged armed conflict between the two neighbouring countries.

Union of South American Nations, UNASUR, nominated Secretary General Maria Emma Mejia said Friday in Uruguay that her round of visits to country members has the purpose of defining a work agenda to be elaborated once she formally takes office in May.

Rio de Janeiro's hosting of the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympics is an unprecedented chance to promote the Brazil brand and ensure a legacy of economic and social benefits, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair said on Friday.

Three Latin American countries figure among the ten top users of social network Tiwtter according to a release from comScore, Inc., a leader in measuring the digital world, based on the comScore Media Metris service.

Argentina's construction activity was up 4% in March from the same month a year ago, the smallest increase in at least 15 months. In comparison, construction activity in March 2010 was up 12.8% on the year.